Settling in,
Find a nice comfortable position for you today,
Finding that nice tall spine.
Relax the shoulders,
Settle the body,
Sink in and blink the eyes closed.
And use the first few breaths of our practice appreciating the life force you are feeling come in the body,
The life force that brings you the opportunity to practice and to live fully.
Inhale,
Then inhale more,
Then inhale a bit more,
And enjoy one long exhale.
Inhale,
Inhale a little more,
And just a bit more,
And take one long exhale.
As you continue to breathe slow and deep,
Feel each part of the breath,
Each element.
Relax into it,
Feel your body surrendering to the breath.
Feel the mind let go,
And surrender to being calm and tuned in.
We want to spend our practice today listening to our heart,
To our inner self,
Letting the rational part of ourselves to be quiet and to relax.
Allow your shoulders to soften and the heart to open.
Air in,
Air out.
Use the inhales to inhale in the spirit of your space.
Use your exhales to embrace relaxation.
Inhale in the sounds and smells of your space,
And feel yourself going deeper into your meditation with each exhale.
Fill and expand with the inhale,
And soften the heart and mind and body with the exhales.
Surrender,
Surrender.
Does the word carry a positive connotation for you,
Or a negative?
Do you crave the idea of surrendering,
Or do you fight against it?
Allow the mind to investigate and observe your response to this idea of surrender.
Bring to mind now the visual of whitewater rafting,
And whether you see yourself rafting or observing others,
You know that you are safe.
You are at no risk in this experience.
Try to visualize the scene as clearly as you can.
See the raft,
The water,
The swells,
The rapids.
Hear the water.
Hear the reaction of the rafters moving down the river.
Smell the fresh air,
And feel the water cool to the touch,
And maybe splashes of water on the arms,
The face,
And remind yourself as needed that you are safe.
You are at no risk,
And as the raft moves and is swept with the water at first for a few breaths,
Feel yourself attempting to be in control of the raft and its direction.
Feel yourself fighting the current,
Trying to direct the raft how you want it to travel down the rushing water,
The path that you want it to take,
And physically what does this feel like?
In your face,
Your arms,
Your hands,
Your back,
Your entire body,
What is happening,
And what amount of energy does it require?
As you fight the current and attempt to control the raft,
Are you having success in fighting against the current?
Are you able to reroute the raft?
And if so,
Is it worth the work?
Emotionally,
Mentally,
What does working to fight against the current feel like?
Is it fun and enjoyable?
Is it adding to your enjoyment of the experience,
Working to be in control of the path?
Or is it taking away from it?
Is it your responsibility to be in control of the raft?
Do others expect you to do it?
Did they ask?
Did you?
Why do you want to control the path and direction?
What leads you to desire this control?
And see the big raft,
The water,
The smiles on the faces of the other rafters.
Feel the fun of those around you.
And could surrendering be taking back our power instead of giving it up?
Knowing you are in no danger,
What if you relax and go with the current?
As you stop fighting the current,
What do you notice physically?
The face,
Arms,
Hands,
Back,
The entire body,
How much energy does it save?
Is the path the current takes inferior to the path you would have taken?
Is it potentially an easier,
Smoother,
And more enjoyable path?
Mentally and emotionally,
What does it feel like to let go and surrender?
To let the current lead the raft,
Does it add to your enjoyment?
Are you able to look around to see the beauty of the area of the land you are passing through?
Are you able to take a moment to look around at those rafting with you?
Are you able to be more fully present and take in the experience?
And as you feel the sense of fun,
The smile,
The cool splashes of water,
The absence of stress,
Do you miss having control or do you feel a sense of relief in having given it up?
In what other areas of life are we working to exert control and fighting currents when we are meant to enjoy the ride?
To surrender and be present to what could be?
What are we missing by forcing a path rather than surrendering to the organic path?
And surrendering doesn't mean not standing up for yourself or tackling problems.
It's not about being passive or giving up power.
Surrendering can be a way to regain your power,
To be more present.
It's about not fighting when you're meant to enjoy.
It's about accepting when you are in control and when you are not,
Of not forcing or fighting against,
But instead of accepting and enjoying the ride.
Allow the mind to bring forward examples of fighting and surrendering,
Times when you fought to have control and how it felt physically and mentally,
And the outcomes,
And times when you surrendered by choice or exhaustion,
And the physical and mental responses,
And the outcome.
And notice how powerful it can be to surrender,
How in control it can feel to let go,
How nice it can feel to be able to enjoy the ride.
Begin feeling each part of the breath again,
Each element.
Air in,
Air out.
Feel this life force.
Slow,
Deep,
Long inhales and slow,
Long exhales.
Use the inhales to inhale in your space,
The exhales to embrace the relaxation.
Inhale in the sounds and smells of your space and feel yourself coming back.
Fill and expand with your inhales and gently come back to the world with the exhales.
Feeling relaxed and lighter and ready to enjoy the ride.
A few more breaths here to return,
Always taking your time,
Never any rush.
Inviting a little movement back into the body,
Maybe taking a few slow blinks of the eyes,
And only returning when you are ready.
Thank you very much.
Thank you so much for sharing this practice with me today.
Namaste.
